Controlling the Battlefield: FPS Freek Elite Review

The first question you would naturally ask is – does the product actually work?

In the competitive world of online gaming there is always someone trying to gain the edge over an opponent and there are two ways of achieving it – legally and illegally. For the honest folks amongst us we can get that much needed advantage through the use of headsets that allow us to know where the enemy through subtle audio cues or through other various gaming peripherals that do the weirdest and most wonderful thing’s to heighten the senses.

This brings us on to the product review for FPS Freek Elite by KontrolFreeks that essentially extends your analogue stick length to help improve your accuracy on certain games – namely first-person shooters.

The first question you would naturally ask is – does the product actually work? Well, when I jumped into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 with my extended sticks firmly clicked into place I was destroyed by my opponents. It just felt so uncomfortable and unnatural to grip the pad and stretch my fingers over to the back triggers simultaneously to throw grenades and such. At this point I was trying to imagine what else I could have spent my cash on.

It was only after my sixth or seventh game that I felt thing’s slowly clicking into place and the increased accuracy I was promised began coming to the fore. I was locking on to enemies quicker and when I needed to spin around quickly to pick off someone from behind I was finding I became the victor more often than I ordinarily would. Now after prolonged use I honestly couldn’t go back - my thumbs have adapted to the increased grip that comes from the rubber pads and the small intricacies in-game that a longer stick grants you. You may sacrifice an element of comfort, but the positives outweigh this issue and after a while it becomes tolerable.

The next thing I wanted to test was the extenders on other games to see if they had versatility. The first game I tried was SSX and was pleasantly surprised with the results. From the get-go I was winding in, out and around obstacles more easily than I remember. Next up Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and the difference albeit not as great was still noticeable enough to improve my game, even if it wasn’t in great leaps or bounds. Finally, I had a bash on Mortal Kombat and here the impact was least felt. The manic button movements needed felt more effective on the standard sticks and I didn’t really feel as if I was benefitting any.

In my opinion it passes the test in both accuracy and versatility, but it’s not all a bed of roses. There are a couple of issues I found from using the FPS Freek that tarnish a potential purchase ever-so-slightly. The grips work on both a PlayStation and Xbox controller, but if you decide to take them off for whatever reason you will notice small indented marks where they sat. It’s nothing to shout home about, but if you’re somewhat of a perfectionist then it could present a hassle. It’s also probably not the best for those prone to arthritis as the product itself is designed for stretching your hand further than it ordinarily would for long periods of time.

In conclusion this is a very useful product that is sturdy enough to last and provides enough benefits – especially where first-person shooters are concerned – that the purchase is warrantable. For those games that it doesn’t quite work on the company offer alternatives that vary in size, shape, grip, etc., so whatever type of gamer you are there is a Freek for you.

Craig Bryan, NoobFeed
Twitter | Facebook | Email